Armenia’s finest turns 75

Armenia’s finest turns 75

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norman lebrecht

January 25, 2014

The composer Tigran Mansurian will be 75 on Monday.  Patricia Kopatchinskaja will give first performances of his violin concerto “Four serious songs” and also of  the “Romance” for violin and orchestra which Mansurian dedicated to her: In February with the Orchestra della Toscana in Florence, Italy. In March with Camerata Bern, in Bern Switzerland and in Trento, Italy, and also with Britten Sinfonietta in Cambridge, Norwich and London, UK. And in November with St.Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota, USA.

His marvellous Requiem (below) mourns the victims of the Turkish genocide, almost 100 years ago.

Full bio here.

mansurian

Comments

  • Anahid says:

    Armenians rule!

  • TIGRAN MANSURIAN (b.1939 – )

    REQUIEM (2011)

    Dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide

    live performance

    NURIA RIAL Sopran

    MARIE-CLAUDE CHAPPUIS Alt

    CHRISTOPH PRÉGARDIEN Tenor

    TAREQ NAZMI Bass

    RIAS Kammerchor Münchner Kammerorchester

    ALEXANDER LIEBREICH Dirigent

    Auftragswerk für das Münchener Kammerorchester und den RIAS Kammerchor

    http://youtu.be/yUoINWiTqZA

    I Requiem

    II Kyrie

    III Dies irae

    IV Tuba mirum

    V Lacrimosa

    VI Domine Jesu Christe

    VII Sanctus

    VIII Agnus Dei

    This work is dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide. During its composition, I was confronted by the problem of differing interpretations of the canonical texts laid down by the Armenian and Roman- Catholic churches. Armenian Christians conceive for example the intonation of the ‘Kyrie eleison’ according to the Western tradition somehow different from their tradition. I naturally selected the Armenian tradition; I had no wish to copy the rhetoric and gestures of a rite to which I am unaccustomed. I hope that the interlinking of ancient sacred and secular music of Armenia with the Latin text has created something unexpected and even slightly paradox in my music. (Tigran Mansurian)

  • Roy Wood says:

    Lucine Amara, American soprano of Armenian heritage who sang frequently at the Metropolitan Opera, will turn 90 on March 1st. Can we call her Armenia’s second finest?

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